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lavengro-第163部分
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'the figure will be of wood for no other reason; I assure you; he!
he!'
'You should place another statue on the right。'
'Perhaps we shall;' said the man in black; 'but we know of no one
amongst the philologists of Italy; nor; indeed; of the other
countries inhabited by the faithful; worthy to sit parallel in
effigy with our illustrissimo; when; indeed; we have conquered
these regions of the perfidious by bringing the inhabitants thereof
to the true faith; I have no doubt that we shall be able to select
one worthy to bear him company … one whose statue shall be placed
on the right hand of the library; in testimony of our joy at his
conversion; for; as you know; 〃There is more joy;〃 etc。'
'Wood?' said I。
'I hope not;' said the man in black; 'no; if I be consulted as to
the material for the statue; I should strongly recommend bronze。'
And when the man in black had said this; he emptied his second
tumbler of its contents; and prepared himself another。
CHAPTER XCIV
Prerogative … Feeling of gratitude … A long history … Alliterative
style … Advantageous specimen … Jesuit benefice … Not sufficient …
Queen Stork's tragedy … Good sense … Grandeur and gentility …
Ironmonger's daughter … Clan Mac…Sycophant … Lickspittles … A
curiosity … Newspaper editors … Charles the Simple … High…flying
ditty … Dissenters … Lower classes … Priestley's house … Saxon
ancestors … Austin … Renovating glass … Money … Quite original。
'SO you hope to bring these regions again beneath the banner of the
Roman See?' said I; after the man in black had prepared the
beverage; and tasted it。
'Hope!' said the man in black; 'how can we fail? Is not the Church
of these regions going to lose its prerogative?'
'Its prerogative?'
'Yes; those who should be the guardians of the religion of England
are about to grant Papists emancipation; and to remove the
disabilities from Dissenters; which will allow the Holy Father to
play his own game in England。'
On my inquiring how the Holy Father intended to play his game; the
man in black gave me to understand that he intended for the present
to cover the land with temples; in which the religion of
Protestants would be continually scoffed at and reviled。
On my observing that such behaviour would savour strongly of
ingratitude; the man in black gave me to understand that if I
entertained the idea that the See of Rome was ever influenced in
its actions by any feeling of gratitude I was much mistaken;
assuring me that if the See of Rome in any encounter should chance
to be disarmed; and its adversary; from a feeling of magnanimity;
should restore the sword which had been knocked out of its hand;
the See of Rome always endeavoured on the first opportunity to
plunge the said sword into its adversary's bosom; conduct which the
man in black seemed to think was very wise; and which he assured me
had already enabled it to get rid of a great many troublesome
adversaries; and would; he had no doubt; enable it to get rid of a
great many more。
On my attempting to argue against the propriety of such behaviour;
the man in black cut the matter short by saying that if one party
was a fool he saw no reason why the other should imitate it in its
folly。
After musing a little while; I told him that emancipation had not
yet passed through the legislature; and that perhaps it never
would; reminding him that there was often many a slip between the
cup and the lip; to which observation the man in black agreed;
assuring me; however; that there was no doubt that emancipation
would be carried; inasmuch as there was a very loud cry at present
in the land … a cry of 'tolerance;' which had almost frightened the
Government out of its wits; who; to get rid of the cry; was going
to grant all that was asked in the way of toleration; instead of
telling the people to 'hold their nonsense;' and cutting them down
provided they continued bawling longer。
I questioned the man in black with respect to the origin of this
cry; but he said; to trace it to its origin would require a long
history; that; at any rate; such a cry was in existence; the chief
raisers of it being certain of the nobility; called Whigs; who
hoped by means of it to get into power; and to turn out certain
ancient adversaries of theirs called Tories; who were for letting
things remain IN STATU QUO; that these Whigs were backed by a party
amongst the people called Radicals; a specimen of whom I had seen
in the public…house; a set of fellows who were always in the habit
of bawling against those in place; 'and so;' he added; 'by means of
these parties; and the hubbub which the Papists and other smaller
sects are making; a general emancipation will be carried; and the
Church of England humbled; which is the principal thing which the
See of Rome cares for。'
On my telling the man in black that I believed that; even among the
high dignitaries of the English Church; there were many who wished
to grant perfect freedom to religions of all descriptions; he said
he was aware that such was the fact; and that such a wish was
anything but wise; inasmuch as; if they had any regard for the
religion they professed; they ought to stand by it through thick
and thin; proclaiming it to be the only true one; and denouncing
all others; in an alliterative style; as dangerous and damnable;
whereas; by their present conduct; they were bringing their
religion into contempt with the people at large; who would never
continue long attached to a Church the ministers of which did not
stand up for it; and likewise cause their own brethren; who had a
clearer notion of things; to be ashamed of belonging to it。 'I
speak advisedly;' said he; in continuation; 'there is one
Platitude。'
'And I hope there is only one;' said I; 'you surely would not
adduce the likes and dislikes of that poor silly fellow as the
criterions of the opinions of any party?'
'You know him;' said the man in black; 'nay; I heard you mention
him in the public…house; the fellow is not very wise; I admit; but
he has sense enough to know that; unless a Church can make people
hold their tongues when it thinks fit; it is scarcely deserving the
name of a Church; no; I think that the fellow is not such a very
bad stick; and that upon the whole he is; or rather was; an
advantageous specimen of the High Church English clergy; who; for
the most part; so far from troubling their heads about persecuting
people; only think of securing their tithes; eating their heavy
dinners; puffing out their cheeks with importance on country
justice benches; and occasionally exhibiting their conceited wives;
hoyden daughters; and gawky sons at country balls; whereas
Platitude … '
'Stop;' said I; 'you said in the public…house that the Church of
England was a persecuting Church; and here
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